The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-01-07
PERILS OF AUTHORSHIP
How a Young Bride Brought Them
Upon Herself.

- GGAA L4CA 6CAAs
Mildred's pretty face wore new ex-
preston as she toyed with her teaspoon
and tried to finish her roll and coffee
John had just left for his office They
had been married three months, and the
serious aspects of life were for the first
time presenting themselves. The prob
lem Of income and outgo had made a
fair showing on paper. A small apart
ment-fuel and gas ineluded-one SER
want, and with such loads of wedding
presents, absolutely nothing to buy,
they could actually save money. But,
somehow, there were leaks which had
not been considered, and ten dollars
covered a much smaller amountin time
and space than John OF Mildred had
supposed.
Il wish 1 could do something to help
John" thought Mildred as she gazed
abstractedly out of the window. .He
has to work so hard, >" and she gave a
little sigh.
What can I doPn she pondered.
''What can / doP" she asked herself
again and again, ms with deft touch She
Strengthened and arranged the dainty
apartment,
Suddenly her face looked as if a door
had opened and flooded itwith sunlight.
81 know what 1 viii do; l win write
n story know 1 can if try. People
do not have to be so awfully clever to
do that. 1t is a knack, not a talent.
There is Mrs -, who has made heaps
of money; and her stories are only poor
tr7lsh--all Of them. John says So"
Before another hour had passed the
outline of plot was dancing in her ex-
cited young brain, and as soon as she
could get the time she sat down with
pad and sharpened pencil. Then came
n pause. "HOw shall / begin?" She
drew little geometric figures on the
margin of her paper as she reflected,
her thoughts seeming to revolve in a
circle, returning ever to the place from
whence they started. Finally she wrote:
In a small village on the banks Of
80
"Oh, that is SO commonplace. No;
that will not do" And she tore off the
first sheet of her pad and reflected
again, then wrote:
Frank Atwood was the only son of
az
''No, no; that is too stupid" and the
second sheet of the pad went into the
waste paper basket.
She recalled what John had said of
the superfluous first three pages, which
might with benefit to most stories be
eliminated-for John was a journalist
and literary critic, and his standards
and ideals were just on the measure of
her own. So she thought with great
Difference of what he had said about
tedious preambles.
''He is right, she said with decision
cit is the personal interest in the char
acters which we are looking for in
reading a story. All that comes before
that is tedious superfluity.
Il will dash right on with a letter
from the heroine. which will at once
explain the situation" So with the
confidence which came from feeling
herself at last on the right track, she
wrote:
Dear Frank: 1 return herewith the
letters, which of course 1 have now no
right to keep. l need not tell you
what it costs me. Ihave reflected much
upon what YOU said yesterday. but 1 am
at last resolved / win not see You
again. Any attempt to make me break
this resolve viii be fruitless. God
knows YOU have only yourself to blame
that this marriage has"
please ma am, " said the cook COM
ing suddenly in upon the young author
css. please, ma'am, the butcher
is here. Win YOU come and see
him and give the order yersef about
havin' them chops frenched orwhatever
ii is"
"Oh, what bore, sighed Mildred.
81 was just getting into the swing of
it," And she left the manuscript upon
her desk to be resumed later.
The matter of the chops disposed of
there were other things requiring atten-
ton.
At last, however, she was a. her desk
again. She read over the letter with
which her story opened 20 see how IL
sounded. Really" Sod she, L think
that starts of very we'll, and then she
took mp the broken thread. "Only
yourself 70 blap.e that this marriage
has A violent ringing at the tele-
phone again broke the current. HAL
To-, said our young novelist
Mildred, is that youP'
Eyes, is it you, Alicesn
Eyes. Mamma does not feel very
well and wishes you to take luncheon
with us She has sent the carriage.
BE ready to comes soon as il arrives. y
Obviously no more authorship to-day.
So slipping her paper into her desk she
departed.
Now John was a nice sort of fellow.
But we may as wen acknowledge at
once that he was not So heroic, nor SO
wise, nor so infalnble an authority as
his wife supposed. She had taken the
outline Of the real John, touched II
mp with the glowing eolors Of her
imagination and out Of it had made an